Chutes are well-known devices for the transport of articles from a first location to another location. Commonly, articles in the chute move from an upper location to a lower location by sliding down the chute via the force of gravity. Some chutes may also provide for mechanical or human assistance in applying the necessary force to transport articles down the chute. It is further common for spiral type chutes to rotate downwardly to a selected rotational degree.
Chutes known to the art are commonly constructed of metal, fiberglass, wood, polymer, or any combination thereof. However, chutes known to the art suffer a number of disadvantages. Fiberglass and polymer chutes often must be created from molds. Such molds are expensive and can only be used to create exact duplicates of the mold. Additionally, molds cannot be readily adapted to accommodate desired changes in the chute structure.
Metal chutes are typically constructed from steel components that must be prefabricated by welding each component together. When a component fails or is damaged, repairs are expensive and time consuming. Repairs commonly require cutting or removal of one or more of the components. In many cases, the entire chute must be removed to make repairs. The chute must also be re-welded after repairs are finished. While metal chutes may often accommodate heavier articles, such chutes are often heavy and, therefore, expensive and difficult to install, remove, or modify in any manner. Further, prefabricated metal chutes are difficult and expensive to ship to a desired location.
It would be advantageous for an improved chute to be readily assembled and disassembled for timely and cost-efficient transportation and installation of the chute. It would also be advantageous for the chute to be readily repairable and to accommodate easy replacement of any portion or component of the chute. Further, it would be advantageous for an improved chute to be readily adaptable to a desired size, slope, and rotational degree.